MITTAGS-ABGRUND - Mittags-Abgrund

MITTAGS-ABGRUND, formed in St. Petersburg, Russia, in 2022, goes beyond using the 90s black/death metal aesthetic as a nostalgic reference point on its debut full-length, “Mittags-Abgrund”, by connecting the different instincts of the two genres within the same compositions. At roughly 48 minutes across nine tracks, the album initially appears to set the coldness of traditional black metal against the heavier, more physical riffing of death metal, but its real character emerges from the transitions between these two extremes. The reference to the idea of the “midday abyss” in Nietzsche’s Thus Spoke Zarathustra, together with the fractured-sky imagery on the album cover, establishes a conceptual framework; the music, however, suggests rather than directly articulates this reference through dark, grandiose and occasionally unsettling atmospheres.

The acoustic and melancholic opening of “Пролог” does more than simply serve as an introduction to the intensity that follows. As the guitars gradually harden and the drums enter, it becomes clear early on that the album’s melodic side will be just as important as its extreme character. “Портреты моих предков” then takes this approach onto harsher ground: blast beats and tremolo guitars establish its black metal side, while heavier death metal riffs continually shift the track’s center of gravity. This is where one of MITTAGS-ABGRUND’s more striking qualities emerges. The compositions do not merely insert death metal riffs between fast black metal sections; their direction is shaped by simultaneous changes in rhythmic structure, melodic guitar movement and vocal character.

The contribution of guest drummer F. is particularly important here. The drums go beyond standard blast-beat patterns, using staccato breaks, fills, hi-hat work and cymbal accents to sharpen the character of the riffs. Particularly on “Паруса крыльев простёрты” and in sections of the album’s second half, the rhythm instruments cease to function merely as a foundation beneath the guitars. The same dynamism is maintained in the slower, more lurching passages. The death-metal-heavy middle section of “Пой со мной (Грусть в глазах бога)” and the slower-moving structure of “В городе” prevent the album from maintaining the same pace and intensity throughout. This variety keeps the longer tracks from feeling unnecessarily extended while allowing the compositions to venture into more experimental territory in places.

The guitars form the other side of the album’s black/death balance. Alongside traditional tremolo lines and heavy riffing, MITTAGS-ABGRUND employs melodic leads, longer arpeggios and occasional dissonant touches. “Aurora Consurgens” brings the album’s more grandiose side to the forefront in this respect, while “В городе” creates a different atmosphere through its slower pace and tremolo guitar layered over the main idea. “Высокомерие над пропастью червей”, meanwhile, reveals another side of the album through sections where its death metal orientation becomes more pronounced, with even traces of traditional thrash in the rhythmic construction. What these tracks share is the way MITTAGS-ABGRUND uses melody not as an opposite to heaviness, but as a structural element within it.

The vocal approach likewise refuses to remain confined to a single black metal template. Alongside raspy screams, there are deep growls, guttural and muffled vocals, as well as cleaner, more ritualistic delivery. The deliberate retention of Russian lyrics strengthens the album’s cold, closed-off atmosphere regardless of their intelligibility. In some sections, layered vocals give the material a theatrical character, while the particularly dominant guttural approach can become more restrictive over longer listening sessions. Even so, this vocal variety is one of the elements that keeps the album’s black metal side from settling into a conventional screaming formula.

The album’s most debatable aspect, however, is the relationship between atmosphere and production. The use of synths and spacious passages produces particularly effective results in the quieter or more grandiose sections. The instrumental and subdued character of “Эпилог - Предельная Туле” does not simply bring the aggression accumulated throughout the album to a halt; instead, it leaves behind a different kind of tension. At the same time, some lead guitars fail to come sufficiently forward in the mix, reducing the impact of melodic ideas that are already relatively brief. The vocal layers occasionally becoming more prominent than necessary creates a similar problem. The album has considerable atmospheric potential, but that potential is not exploited to the same degree on every track.

What ultimately stands out about MITTAGS-ABGRUND is not simply its connection to AETERNUS, IMMORTAL, BÖLZER, MORBID ANGEL or the old-school black/death tradition. More importantly, these references are transformed into different compositional instincts. On one track, the physical weight of death metal takes precedence; elsewhere, tremolo guitars, melodic leads or more ritualistic vocals move to the foreground. For that reason, it would be incomplete to regard “Mittags-Abgrund” merely as a 90s black/death revival record. Although the album occasionally struggles to fully integrate its ideas and has difficulty maintaining the cohesion of its opening half in the second half, its attempt to bring rhythm, guitar melody, vocal variety and atmosphere together within the same compositions is unmistakable. MITTAGS-ABGRUND comes closest to its own voice when powerful riffing and dynamic drumming occupy the foreground simultaneously. “Mittags-Abgrund” is not a flawless debut, but it is a serious work that seeks not merely to reproduce the legacy of 90s black/death metal, but to expand it through different rhythmic and melodic ideas, revealing its greatest potential on the compositional front.

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